‘Chances of a Reserve Bank of Australia official interest rate cut in the first quarter fell sharply amid the first tentative signs the sliding currency is pushing up the cost of imported goods. Headline consumer prices rose 0.4 per cent in the December quarter from the previous three months and 1.7 per cent from a year earlier, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Analysts anticipated a more modest gain of 0.3 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively.’